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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Spinnaker

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/06/2003 : 10:32:41

I'd like to upgrade my boat to the spinnaker class next season. Hopefully that will help with our downwind performance:)

A couple of questions:

1. What are the dimensions of a C-25 spinnaker? I have a friend who offered to sell me the spinnaker from his Helms 25, and I need to know if it's about the right size.

2. How long should the spinnaker pole be?
3. What kind of hardware will I need to install? I know I'll need a spinnaker halyard, a pole lift, a pole downhaul (what's the right name?), and a couple of turning blocks to be mounted (how?) near the rear cleats. Also, some blocks to be mounted (possibly on the existing track) to control the pole end.

I will have two winches mounted on the cabin top, so I plan to use those for the spinnaker and pole. I'll also need

Bruce Baker
Falls Church, VA
"Yee Ha" 3573
'83SR/SK

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2003 : 10:55:04

Hi Bruce,

According to the C25 Design Class Rules:
Spinnaker Luff shall not exceed; Tall = 31'1" Std = 29'3.5"
Spinnaker Girth shall not exceed 18'10.75"

Spinnaker pole including end fittings may not exceed 10.5'

For the gear you need, check out the C25 Parts Catalog pages 22 & 23
http://www.catalina25-250.org/manbro/pictures/pc22.gif
http://www.catalina25-250.org/manbro/pictures/pc23.gif

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2003 : 09:54:22

Bruce -

Your going to need a number of items to rig for a spinaker. One of the good sites to check out is www.harken.com , they will have proper sizes for the loads you will have. Check out the Compuspec on that site.

You can break down what you need into three categories (other than the sail itself)

Sheet & Guys, Pole and Halyard.

For the Halyard you'll need:
<ul>
<li>Halyard Line</li>
<li>360 degree swivel block</li>
<li>Cleat (clutch or cam)</li>
<li>360 degree Swivel Snap Shackle</li>
</ul>

For the Halyard, you will need a fairly sturdy block at the top of the mast with a 360 degree swivel. A halyard, ideally for our boat that runs back to the cockpit, however, cleating at the mast is very common on racing boats since there is almost always a guy on the foredeck during a hoist or takedown. You'll want either 3/8ths or 5/16ths line. Lastly, you will want a nice sized cam cleat, if you go to the mast or a clutch cleat if you run the line back. Being able to douse in an emergency while the sail is under load doesn't work well with a horn cleat on the mast. Also a 360 degree spinning snap shackle.

Sheets and Guys
<ul>
<li>2 Lines </li>
<li>Cabin top or additional cockpit set of winches.</li>
<li>2 shackles</li>
<li>two small dingly lightweight snatch blocks, or two Harken Ti-lights.</li>
<li>two cam cleats, possibly may need risers for these.</li>
<li>two short lines</li>
<li>Two blocks on the rail, similar to your jib blocks.</li>
<li>two blocks, as far aft as possible on the rail</li>
</ul>
For the sheets, you'll want 2 sheets, 5/16ths line that can run from the mast to the stern, along the rail to the bow. Depending on how you want to douse, being able to run that line from there back to the shrouds might also be beneficial. (Sounds like a lot of line and it is.) The winches on the cabin top for your sheets and guys are also essential. As you round the leeward mark, you need the other winches for your jib, as both sails at some point will be hoisted at the same time. To connect to the sails, you can either tie bowlines, or use snap shackles. The benefit of the snap shackle is the ability to quickly release the sail from the line to douse in an emergency. That is my preference. With bowlines, your only douse option is to allow the guy to run around the boat into the cabin. You'll need two blocks, place as far aft as possible. Lastly, you'll need some sort of a tweaker (sometimes called twing) line system. This pulls the guy in at the beam of the boat. This is usually a length of line about 5 to 8 feet long attached to a lightweight snatch block on the end that runs through a block on the rail and to a cam cleat. There are a number of options on this set-up, but that seems to be the easiest. (one note, since I almost always get this question - Yes this is a snatch block, and no its not what you would traditionally consider to be a snatch block.) Take a look at this page for an example (see item: mid way down, HA4375, also see alternative to the twing line setup with a cam cleat and block at the mast, Item 2646)

http://www.layline.com/llf/llpages/htmlp56/cl56.asp

For the Pole
<ul>
<li>Double Bridled Spin Pole</li>
<li>Block</li>
<li>Topping Lift Line</li>
<li>Foreguy or downhaul Line</li>
<li>Block for downhaul</li>
<li>Wichard snap hook</li>
<li>Snap shackle</li>
<li>T - Track 4 to 7 feet.</li>
<li>Pole Car for the track</li>
</ul>
Other than a pole, which is an obvious item, you'll need a few others. A pole lift line, attached to a block mid way up the mast. Ideally, this line is accessible from the cockpit, but doesn't need to be. This runs similar to a halyard and uses a snap shackle. The foreguy, or downhaul, is a line that will keep the pole from rising in heavy wind, you can check catalinas pics in the parts catalog for one method. I installed a block on the mast tabernacle and run mine from there aft, it is my opinion that our boats are small enough to not need to put the block as far forward as Catalina does. The wichard snap hook is used on the foreguy since you'll want to be able to detach this without too much trouble, a lot of times one handed to clear the deck for a tack after dousing. If you do not run these back to the cockpit to cleats, you will need some sort of cleating for these on the mast.

How does it all fit together?

The halyard will hoist the head of the sail outside the forestay. Your two control lines, attached via snap shackle to the sail, (sheet and guy which are interchangeable) run from your hoisting posisition, either bow or beam, around and outside of everything back through the twing line blocks, to the blocks at the stern then to your winches.

The spin pole is attached to the mast, the other end is attached to the the guy. (windward control line). The topping lift is attached to the one pole bridle and the down haul (foreguy) is attached to the lower bridle. The optimal position of the pole at all times is 90 degrees to the wind, parrallel to the water with both clews of the sail at the same height. The twing on the pole side (windward) is pulled in, the other is allowed to run free.

Hope I didn't confuse you. I will attempt to write this up in a little better format for the website.

DW

D. Wolff - "The Flying Wasp" #401 sr/sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://www.flags.com/dreamimages/Flags/measurer.jpg" border=0>

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